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Built for Atlantic Canada’s community of military and first responder families.
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About Camp Cassidy
Camp Cassidy, a charitable organization founded in 2019, is an outdoor recreational facility and wellness centre reserved exclusively for Canadian current or former military and first responder personnel and their immediate families in the Atlantic Provinces, at no cost to them.
Situated on a picturesque 60.7 ha waterfront property at Cassidy Lake, New Brunswick, the Camp currently offers a range of amenities and activities in a park like setting. Notable features include outdoor experiences on the professionally designed 3.2 km Three Bridges Hiking Trail winding through a captivating forest adorned with scenic streams, calming scenes and vistas, an 18.3m diameter 7 circuit Labryinth found in a beautiful enclave surrounded by trees for a soothing meditative experience, a heritage apple orchard in a quiet but invigorating location, and an historic 141 year-old country church repurposed as a secular Gathering Place Building available for small group meetings or wellness events.
The Camp’s protected environment, in particular its Three Bridges Trail, offers the calming experience of walking in a forest, often referred to as “nature therapy,” or “green therapy” that has been shown to have a profoundly positive impact on mental health, promoting relaxation, and reducing stress. The lush green surroundings, fresh air, and soothing sounds of nature help reduce stress and anxiety levels. The exposure to natural compounds released by trees can boost the immune system and improve mood. And the act of walking promotes physical activity, which releases endorphins and other mood-boosting chemicals in the brain. This combination of sensory engagement, natural aromatherapy and gentle exercise contributes to a sense of rejuvenation, and improved overall well-being.
The human-water connection, known as the “Blue Mind”, promotes calm, peacefulness, unity and a general sense of happiness. The Camp’s 600m waterfront and its direct access to Cassidy Lake provides Blue Mind benefits when swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing on the Lake.
Current or former Canadian military and first responder personnel, as well as their immediate families, who are visiting or resident in the Atlantic Provinces can access the Camp’s trail and other facilities between the Victoria Day and Thanksgiving weekends, during daylight hours, at no cost. Small groups (2-25 people) who wish to access The Camp’s Gathering Place Building for meetings or wellness sessions can contact the Camp at admin@campcassidy.ca.
Meeting a Need
For six generations, the Cassidy Family from Cassidy Lake, NB enjoyed their forested property at Cassidy Lake (the “Property”) as a place to live, work and pursue outdoor family recreational opportunities such as hiking, boating, picnicking, fishing and swimming.
The Cassidys strongly believe Atlantic Canada’s community of military and first responders (both current and former members) and their families deserve the opportunity to enjoy those same experiences on the Property, in a family setting and in a facility dedicated to their unique circumstances.
Just as Canada’s military and first responder personnel have access to similar facilities in other parts of the country, these special Canadians and their families living in the Atlantic Provinces will benefit from an outdoor recreational facility combined with a first class wellness centre designed for their exclusive use. Developing the Property as Camp Cassidy will meet this need.
The Benefits to Our Military and First Responder Community
Camp Cassidy is aware military and first responder personnel and their families encounter unique circumstances as a result of, among other things, deployments for training, combat roles, security service, first response responsibilities and peacekeeping missions. Personnel and families may face such challenges as operational stress injuries, anxiety, hyper-vigilance, depression and conflict management, along with issues caused by prolonged or recurring separation and relocation. The development and operation, on a non-profit basis, of recreational facilities and a wellness centre with programs at the Property is intended to provide a safe, unique experience for military and first responder families to experience the therapeutic and revitalizing benefit of outdoor adventure and wellness activities, at no cost to them.
Camp Cassidy understands military and first response personnel can obtain significant benefit from outdoor activities that allow them to connect, and, in some cases, re-connect with their family members. The Cassidy Family places a high value on the positive, healing strength of strong family bonds, and the emphasis at Camp Cassidy, from design to operation, is on family-oriented recreation and wellness. For example, individual family style cabins with sleeping quarters will be established, rather than large traditional “bunkhouses” found at kids’ camps. Individual kitchen and dining facilities built into each cabin will maximize family oriented meals. Infrastructure for a “Gathering Place” building (a large congregating area) will be created with separate meeting/seminar rooms for group events, therapy and wellness counseling.
A Rare Opportunity
The goal for Camp Cassidy is to create a non-profit, privately owned and operated first class setting for both recreation and wellness, easily accessible and at no cost, to military and first responder families living in Atlantic Canada. While military and first responder families have access to public facilities such as provincial and national parks, it is on the same terms as provided to the general population i.e. there is generally no access to these facilities reserved solely for them. Further, provincial and national parks may charge various fees, which for some families can be cost-prohibitive, even with discounts, when considering the overall family budget.
Help Us Grow
By providing top notch outdoor recreation opportunities and wellness facilities available solely for military and first responder families at no cost to them, Camp Cassidy provides an important and rare opportunity to meet the unique needs of these special Canadians.
A Favourable Location
The Camp is a 50 minute drive from CFB Gagetown, one of Canada’s largest military bases, and the town of Oromocto, NB, a vibrant community of 10,000 primarily made up of military families and veteran personnel. We are easily accessible by major highway from all three of New Brunswick’s largest cities and from major centres in both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, as well as other bases and military communities in the Atlantic Provinces. Amenities (grocery stores, etc.) are located in the nearby town of Sussex.